Nannies of Norland College, 2019
Norland nannies have become a global status symbol of the wealthy – the export of a single British school in Bath. The students are dressed in modestly updated uniforms from the one donned by their 1892 counterparts, but the people who wear them are considerably different.
Norland College was founded by Emily Ward in the Victorian era, who built a brand favored by British aristocrats and royals, and latterly the international wealth of oligarchs and sheiks.
Today’s Norland nannies commit to this three-year course at 18 – perhaps tempted by the higher-wages paid in compensation for the dedication and isolation that can come with private service – with the College carefully curating their selection of future representatives: the students are middle-class Generation Zs, with men now breaking the uniformity of their ranks.
The long-established organization is adapting to modern-day demands of the rich and famous: terrorism training in the form of cybersecurity is on the curriculum, taught by former military experts. Skid-pan and physical defense training features alongside the cooking, sewing, and child psychology classes you might expect of the College.
This article will explore the heritage of the school, but more importantly, what it is today – the motivations and attributes of the individuals who aspire to become a Norland nanny, being prepared to navigate a fast-paced, media-rich world guiding media-savvy youths with training delivered with military precision in a Victorian coat.
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